News archive

News archive will contain newsflashes older than about two months. Every newsflash will stored here after this date.

May 1, 2017

Now available, the Clear Creek Old Timer Rolling Stock Pack.

You can take a journey to the majestic Colorado Rockies – and travel back in time to the free-wheeling 1890s – with the Clear Creek Old Timer Rolling Stock Pack, now available to back-date operations on the popular Train Simulator Clear Creek Narrow Gauge route!

The Clear Creek Old Timer Rolling Stock Pack features an authentic and highly detailed selection of vintage equipment that worked on the Clear Creek Narrow Gauge lines during the time when the Clear Creek lines were under the control of the Union Pacific Railroad as part of a subsidiary company, the Union Pacific Denver and Gulf Railroad.

In 1860, thousands journeyed to the Colorado Territory, beckoned by reports of gold discoveries in the mountains west of Denver. In the early 1870s, W.A.H. Loveland built a railroad connecting Denver to the Clear Creek Mining District-the Colorado Central Railroad. Over the next 28 years, other lines were established, bought, sold, extended, and merged to service the mining towns of Black Hawk, Central City, Idaho Springs, and Silver Plume. In 1898, the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf, and the Denver Leadville & Gunnison were combined to form the Colorado & Southern Railway.

After more than 40 years of dedication to the Clear Creek District, the railroad was scrapped in 1941. However, tourism would revitalize the area, and in the years to come a group of enthusiasts began to rebuild a portion of the old right of way. Toady, the spirit of the C&S is alive again, and rail fans can make the same journey over “The Loop” that thrilled tourists a century ago.

The add-on as it comes in the store comes with a number of freight rolling stock includes a wooden boxcar, 4-wheel “bobber” caboose, and wooden gondola (empty, and with coal and gravel loads) each provided in DSP&P and Union Pacific liveries, plus a wooden reefer in UP dress.

Three types of wooden passenger-service equipment are provided in UPD&G liveries: a baggage-mail-express car; a standard coach; and an open-side excursion car. These early passenger cars are equipped with Miller Hook couplings, an early version of the knuckle coupler. The baggage-mail-express car is equipped with a Miller coupler on one end and a link-and-pin coupler on the other, so it can couple both to the locomotive and the coaches.

The talented developer of the pack, Milepost Simulations, also has created six highly authentic freight and passenger career scenarios, several based on actual 1890s historical schedules, and the Baldwin 2-8-0 and its consists are ready, too, for immediate Quick Drive duty on the Clear Creek Narrow Gauge route (available separately).

Take a remarkable and memorable journey to the captivating bygone era of steam-powered, narrow-gauge mountain railroading of the “Roaring Nineties” with the Clear Creek Old Timer Rolling Stock Pack. (source train-simulator)

April 25, 2017

Train Mechanic 2017

Arrived the end of March there is a new kind of Train Simulator called: Train Mechanic Simulator 2017 and is available for download at the steamstore. This amazing simulator is a welcome extention for trainsimmers while this stand-alone train simulator not only drive a train but creates it as well. This is significent for educational purposes and playing this simulation will give you a bright insight of the creation of steam locomotives. Not only steam locomotives are present but electric and diesel engines are included as well.

Never the less after creation of the engines you can also rescue derailled trains with some amazing scenarios. Further on Train Mechanic 2017 is NOT compatable with TS2017 but the way you construct an engine will give you a better understanding of the working of a steam locomotive. This knowledge is usefull for clubs and heritage lines. The scenery is still astonishing and either the graphic performance is brilliant. Still you need to have a good PC and minimal 5 Gb. of free space on your hard disk. The program is well worth to have in order to improve your technical knowledge about the working and the way of driving a steam locomotive.

April 23, 2017

Mixed traffic engine S15 now available.

Derived from the successful ‘mixed-traffic’ H15 and ‘passenger’ N15 design, the London & South Western Railway’s S15 was the much-needed answer for a lack of freight locomotives that could link the ports of Southampton, Weymouth & Portsmouth to the rest of the LSWR network. The S15 was originally formed from the mind of LSWR’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Robert Urie, and was later refined by Southern’s Richard Maunsell; the end result was a powerful locomotive that could perform effortlessly under heavy load, from capital to coastline. The S15 proved so successful, that it could even fulfil passenger duties whenever required, despite being classified as a freight locomotive.

The S15 fleet survived the Big Four era, and continued working hard until British Railways, lasting until the end of steam. Thanks to the unexpected versatility of the S15 fleet, they managed to outlive their passenger-focused sister, the N15, which last saw use in 1962; instead, the last of the S15s remained on the rails up to 1966.

Out of the 45 locomotives which were sent for scrap, 7 were saved from the cutters torch, and out of those 7, only 2 have yet to see steam in preservation.

An icon of a pioneers steam locomotive will arrive soon.

One of the most iconic steam locomotives with a set of coaches and wagons will arrive soon in the train-simulator store at steam.com. The creator “Smokebox” of the FEF-3, Consolidation and some other USA steamers is now laying hands on the final touch of the “Jupiter” and coaches. This iconic 4-4-0 engine is the first recreation of one of the oldest steam locomotives of the USA.

This wood fired engine brought a major leap on travel across the USA. The typical design of the Jupiter engine that came in 1869 has its roots in history and was a break through in engine design in a comprehensive way in comparising with engines designed in Europe.

In that time the USA came straight away with coupled driving wheels. Something that wasn’t design in Europe at that time. This type of engine is well know in “wild west” movies where indians or train robbers riding aside of these trains on their horses trying to catch these “Iron horses” as they have called them.

There were no signals in that time. The Chief of ther station wrote an order that told the driver to depart on a certain time and even date, because rail traffic wasn’t known as a regular service as we know today. Once a week a train along the line was a normal issue.

The coupled driving wheels performed much, much more better then the equivalents on European soil as the were in development. The design was an outstanding design and briljant in perfection. Many engines were created using this design and later came to Europe in the same global design.

The Jupiter (nr 60) and the Leviathan (nr 119). Became famous because they became part of the trans continental railway between East and West and withnessed the “Golden Spike” as the last spike of these railway became a fact at the point where the railways joined together and became the worlds first transcontinental connection in the USA.

The coming of this amaziong engine will give you the feeling you running the Wild West again. Imagie to see cowboys running on their horses at the horizon and Indians fighting agains these “Iron Horses” with bows and akses.

This engine respresents the time of pioneering in the USa bringing presidents across the country while they are promoting their vision in politics of the USA and speaking to people from the balcony at the rear of the train. You now will operate the throttle, the Johnson bar and the brakes of a historical masterpiece. You throw chunks of wood on the fire grate because coal was not very present in that time.

Downloads available

Downloads now become available on the downloadpage. Severall downloads created by Steamtrains Unlimited are completely avaibable within the donwload section.

These downloads contains scenario’s created by Steamtrains Unlimited and will have a major impact on the way of playing and driving with steam locomotives. Some of these downloads will have some other type of traction such as diesel or electric, but still these scenario’s will contain steam locomotives how so ever.

Steamtrains Unlimited tries to establish a new standard within which is the Level of Reality (LoR). This level of reality determines the amount of actual trains that should run on a particular route depending on location. Most of the scenario’s are based at the original time tables as far as available within the resources.

The Steamtrains Unlimited LoR has a frequency of every 10 minutes a train that will pass by from the other direction. The 2nd issue in the LoR is the amount of trains which are static located on sidings and branch lines which are visable from the viewpoint of the driver or passenger of the players train. 3rd, the LoR is also the amount of actions which needs to be taken as driver in order to operate the locomotive. The 4rd issue is the wide amount of different trains and engines which are used.

Many scenario’s do need some payware DLC’s. This is not to have the money out of your pocket, but it aims to the LoR if different types of trains and engines used on a particular route.

It is quite rare within the opinion of Steamtrains Unlimited to run a standard engine without extra operational efforts build in. To boost the performances Steamtrains Unlimited is not using HUD displays at all. Most advanced engines which are used does not reqiere a HUD display simply because of the read outs are not adequate.

Requirements are mentioned in the Manual of the sceanrio that comes with the ZIP or RWP package. After unzipping just use Train Installer to install the files and you are ready to roll.

TSW now in store

The new serie of train sims now available in the steam store. However the TSW release does not contain steam locomotives at this moment. The graphic performance however is staggering and exciting and much better than the graphic performance of TS20xx. Addiditional motions of brake shoes, air hoses, couplings, and the extendend amount of operational issues like turn tables and other facilities gives the driver a much more and better feeling of a running and operating locomotoives. Steamtrains Unlimited will look foreward to the development of the 1st steam locomotive and does not see the need to purchase TSW unless steam locomotives enters the TSW environment. How ever for diesel lovers the TSW is a must to have.

GWR 5029 “Nunny”. A well know and adored engine.

The majestic preserved Castle class 5029 is one of the most admired engines in Southern Britain. She oftten drives on the Riviëra line and loved by many people.

Nunney Castle spent most of its life working out of the GWR’s London depot – Old Oak Common. From here it worked trains to the Midlands, West Country and South Wales. It was during its time at Old Oak that it was used to haul evacuation trains, taking children away from the dangers in London during World War II. In 1957, the loco was used to haul the Royal Train from Paddington to Gloucester. Shortly after this, in 1958, the loco moved to Worcester and later spent time in the West Country working out of Laira and Newton Abbot Sheds. Her last move was to Cardiff East Dock shed in 1962, where she remained until December 1963. As with many steam locos from all over the United Kingdom, she ended up at the now famous Barry Scrapyard in 1964.

Bossman Games is proud to be bringing this star of the mainline steam scene to Train Simulator 2017. The pack includes the loco in 3 different guises, spanning from the years 2000 to 2015. Also included is 5029’s Support Coach, Mk1 BSK No. 35461. We have added dual brake functionality, so the player can switch between both air and vacuum modes as well as adding an AWS system which can be switched on and off. The firing has also been changed to be more accurate, and there is an automatic fireman which can be turn on or off as the player chooses.

Source: “Train-simulator.com”

BR 86 in Grey livery

The German class 86 in grey as used on delivery when newly arrived from the manufactorer is now available in the marketplace of the steam store of train-simulator.com. This engie in this livery and also other German steam locomotives used this color sheme in the War time and was used in order to increase the sharpness and in-depht photography in the time of mono chromatich photography. (Black/ White).

The grey outfit increased the briliances of the photo and decreased any blur on promotional pictures in the portfolio of the manufactorer.

After the photo’s were taken the engine went into service without repainting back to the original red/black livery and often these engines were in service untill the first maintenance came to execution. An other issue is the use of grey during the WW2 and was also considered as camouflage colors as well.

British Rail Super D

A super detailed and advanced steam locomotive at Train Simulator by Meshtools.

Despite dating back to the 1920s, and based on a design even older, neither LMS nor BR could not seem to shift the G2s from service. A locomotive was built to replace all LNWR 0-8-0s, the LMS 7F. Otherwise known as the G3, nicknamed Austin 7, the LMS 7F was a development of the G2 and featured a long travel Walschaerts valve gear and higher boiler pressure, and was intended to allow the ageing engines to retire. The 7Fs were fantastic, their reputation proceeded them, however that reputation also noted that they were very prone to failures. Inadequate axle boxes from Derby’s 4F spelled an early end for the expensive to run and rarely available 7F fleet, the last of which was withdrawn in 1959.

Having outlived their ‘successors’, the G2 locomotives lived on until 1964, with the last two leaving service at the end of that year. Out of the 60 LNWR G2 locomotives, which were known by many as the Super Ds, only one survived into preservation. Today, 49395 lives in Shildon as part of the National Railway Museum’s collection.

A development of the G1, which in turn was an improved variation on a long line of 0-8-0s developed by the LNWR, the G2 featured a higher boiler pressure, strengthened frames, large axles and axle boxes plus a redesigned and strengthened direct acting joy valve gear. 60 brand new G2 locomotives would emerge from Crewe Works between 1921 and 1922, bringing the total number of G1, G2 and G2A (rebuilt G1s) Class to 502 members; the 6th largest class to operate in the UK and the 4th for LMS.

With such high numbers running across the rails, seeing an LNWR 0-8-0 became a regularity, and the G2s successful developments over previous designs saw them used on pretty much any service. Freight, express goods, minerals, coal. Passenger, stopping, express, excursion. Yard, shunting, banking, piloting. Thanks to a competitive high efficiency, and being able to do what larger engines would be wasteful on, the G2s could do the lot, and did so right up to the end of steam.

The G2s were subject to a host of various upgrades throughout their lives, rear steam sanding equipment, Stanier pattern chimneys, Belpaire fireboxes and Wakefield fountain lubricators. Towards the end of the steam era, many G2s differed in their features, and it would be hard as a crew to find yourself on one that wasn’t unique in one way or another.

Logging and lumbering in the Rockies

The Clear Creek Log and Lumber Expansion Pack brings to Train Simulator three narrow-gauge Porter-built locomotives representative of typical American logging steam power: Included in the pack are a Porter saddle-tank 0-4-0T and 0-4-2T, both of which are coal burners.

And also included is a remarkable wood-burning, tender-equipped 2-6-0 “Mogul.” This iconic locomotive is a re-creation of the Argent Lumber Company’s locomotive No. 3, which was constructed by Porter in 1905 and was nicknamed the “Swamp Rat.”

The pack’s steam locomotives include a variety of advanced and interesting operating features, such as operating smoke box doors and stack cleaning caps – and the potential for cylinder damage and even a boiler explosion if not operated properly!

In addition to its three vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock, the Clear Creek Log and Lumber Expansion Pack provides a variety of unique structures ideal for bringing logging railroading to operational life. The pack includes an animated saw mill, a pond unloader, a Surry Parker log loader, and a lumber loader. And to service the diminutive Porter steam locomotives, the pack also provides a water tower, coaling station, and sanding tower.

German Class Br 18

The elegant German class Br 18 with wheel arragement 4-6-2 Pacific is now available in the steam store. This 4 cylinder exhaust engine is manufactured by Maffei has been know as an express train engine.

They often were used in famous express trains like the “Rheingold”. Thier smooth running performances was very pleased by its crew and pasengers. Though because of the 4 cylinder expansion exhaust working the engine is hardly hearable. The very short exhaust sounds gives more a feeling as the engine should run on a diesel engine.

The from 1911 to 1923 manufactured engine was created in a range of private railway companies such as Baden Wurttembirsche Railway company, The Sachsische Railway company, and the Compañía de los ferrocarriles de Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante (Spain – Wide Track) and the CFR. The experiances with erlierr version in the same class 18. were fittet with a smaller diametger of driving wheels. The engines later became a set of driving wheels of 2000 mm (6 Ft 6″7′) instead of the older used 1870 mm (6 ft 1″)

These engines uses the high pressure steam in the 1st set of high-pressure cylinders and then the pre-used steam flew through another set of low-pressure cylinders using steam two times. This system gave tremendous coal and water savings creating a range of two times as much as an regular engine.

Preserved engines:
There are 10 engines 18 201, 18 316, 18 323, 18 451, 18 478, 18 505, 18 508, 18 520, 15 528 and 18 612 most of them are preserved on static display The 18 505 the example engine is a preserved and has its home at the museum depot of Bw Neustadt / Weinstraße. The equivalent engine 18 478 at the eisenbahmmuseum Nördlingen is in running condition. The 18 612 is preserved in the German Steam lokomotive museum (Deutsches Damlok Museum).

The exeption engines are the 18 201, 18 316 and 18 323 these are engines which were utilzed to run tests. The 18 201 is a DR recreation beased on the 61 001 and 61 002 Henschel Wegmann Train that rans high speed express between Hamburg and Berlin. The vast wheel diameter of 2300 mm are significant for this engine. The other two engines 18 316 and 18 323 are used at the LVA at Minden untill the ceasement of steam on German soil.

The 18 505 is a true “lady” while the engine is fitted with “Redlinge” the original should be the Rheingold or Oriënt Express. The engine Is perfectly suited with the coaches that comes with Romantic Railroad Sets from BeeKay that are included within the Class 01 (Just Trains), Class 03 (Just Trains) and Class 10 (Steamstore).

The SNCF 232U1 of France

The French equivalent to the Br 10 which is the class 232 u1 is available as freeware at railsim-fr.com. This majestic engine is also created after WW2 just like the German class Br10. The streamlined engine looks very much like the German Class streamlined engine Br 18 201 but it gots its own specifications.

This beautiful locomotive, designed under the direction of Marc de Caso, and completed by Corpet-Louvet in 1949, was the result of a reassessment of the performance of 4-6-4 locomotives made after WW II by the Companie de NORD. Prior to the war, it was planned to built eight streamlined locomotives to haul light weight trains at high speeds. This batch was planned to consist of four compounds (Class 232S), three simples (Class 232R) and one turbine. The first seven locomotives were completed during the 1939/1940 time period but the turbine was never finished.

During the war, they were used to haul slow trains despite the original plan to use them only for high speed service. After the war ended, the turbine design was changed to an improved version of the Atlantic type compound locomotives using a bar frame. It was designated the 232 U1 and featured four sets of piston valves driven by outside mounted Walschaert valve gear, roller bearings on the axles, simplified controls and a mechanical stoker to name just a few of the advanced characteristics.

Despite the fact that the the 232 U1 proved to be an outstanding design and fully lived up to her designer’s expectations, no further orders were placed since the SNCF was focusing on electrification. Thus, only one example of this outstanding design was in service which worked the main line between Paris and Lille together with her seven sisters from the classes 232S and 232R. Today the 232 U1 is preserved at the National Museum at Mulhouse.
(source www.southernsteamtrains.com)

Screenshots are taken during a steam Special from Utrecht Maliebaan National Railway Museum to Amersfoort.

Please notice the controllers are based on the French keyboard lay out !!!

BeeKay / DTG – DB Class 10

The Class Br 10 which was a further devellopment on the classes 01 and 01.10 was planned to replace all the pacifics in Germany. However due to the “Wirtshchaftsprogramm” during the 60’s these locomotive never came into production anymore. This type of engine capable of firing coal and/or oil. It only stays with 2 engines and it never came to a production of more engines.

One of these engines ahs been saved and is givien place at the DGEG Museum at Neumarkt-Wirsberg at the feet of the famous steep slopes of the “Schiefe Ebene” not far away from Hof. With the coming of this engine the German collection of steam engines is further enhanged to a total amount of 7 types.

LNWR Class G2

The Original version of the 8F with the Original wheel arrangement and design now coes to TS2017. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class G2 is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives. 60 were built at Crewe Works in 1921–1922. Uniquely amongst classes of LNWR 8-coupled tender engines, they were not rebuilt from or into other classes. Slightly confusingly the LNWR Class G2a is sometimes considered a subclass, but not in this article. They were classified by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as 5, from 1928 7F.

The Class is survived only by a single preserved locomotive, No. 49395 is today a part of the national collection, a sole reminder of the success of the G’s. Soon, you will have the chance to take control of this quasi-LMS standard as the Super Detailed Super D will be coming soon to Train Simulator, courtesy of Partner Programme developer Meshtools.

DTG – Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Route

A stunning South African Route now has come to the store of DTG / Steam. The typical South African coaches with the amazing steam locomotives is now available to drive on.

Tracing a path between the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe operated between George and Knysna in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, a distance of 67 kilometers (42 miles).

The rugged line was constructed between 1924 and 1928 – and for eight decades thereafter proved a paradise for those seeking either the scenic majesty of South Africa’s Garden Route or the magic of its Cape-gauge (3-foot, 6-inch) steam railroading.

The GWR Star Class

In the late 1890s the Great Western Railway were seeking new locomotives as part of their post-broad gauge conversion modernization.

The newly appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR, George Jackson Churchward, sought out designs for modern steam locomotives that could serve the Western network far into the future.

His first success came from the 2-cylinder prototype known as the Saint Class which, from 1902, would go on to serve as the standard 2-cylinder design for the foreseeable future. This gave Churchward the desire to experiment with 4-cylinder locomotives, which could help make a fleet of even more powerful locomotives. Churchward convinced the GWR to acquire a small handful of four-cylinder French steam locomotives for comparison.

Just Trains – Malmesbury Branch

An amazing rail line recreating the stunning steam time of the 50’s just before the closure of this scenic piece of rroute as it was ran by the GWR. Enjoy this line as you drive the Panniers on the Malmesbury Brach Line.

This short but perfectly detailed historic route portrays the run-down bucolic atmosphere of this scenic country branch line during the last few years of steam, shortly after the GWR was nationalised in 1948.

This very atmospheric Train Simulator route is set during the British Railways era, a couple of years after the GWR was nationalised in 1948. BR was quick to try and close the branch, with passenger services finishing in late 1951 and the branch completely closing in 1962. It’s a relatively short route at 3 3/4 miles in length but is very accurate and has over 100 custom assets.

Just Trains – LNER V2

This LNER V2 Advanced collection features historic LNER and BR loco’s as well as three different versions of the famous Green Arrow, all with matching tenders.

The V2s include numerous Advanced features to bring you the ultimate steam driving experience, upgraded Just Trains Mk.1 coaches, a custom set of MatrixTrains’ LNER Gresley Teak coaches and 14 scenarios for a variety of routes with a driving time of around 19 hours.

Steamtrains posts

Steamtrains search

Steamtrains Unlimited

This site is dedicated to the steam locomotive, to promote and to help you to keep up this majestic power source on rails.
A power source that is now retired except for enthousiasts and tourism steam locomotives still running today on several lines and heritage railways.
Even miniature and garden railways with scaled steam locomotives are loved very much. Why....? because the mystical power and sizzling sounds and the steamy environment tells the story of a living engine